Which NHL teams need upgrades at center? Ranking all 32 teams by current quality (2024)

With draft-floor trades and the first day of unrestricted free agency right around the corner, it’s time to break down where each team stands on a position-by-position basis.

That means striking a balance between what each franchise already has in the fold and what it still needs going into the offseason.

Using Net Rating, we looked at how much value each team is currently expected to carry at each position, as well as the holes they have to address. Teams without franchise talent (top-32 forward, top-16 defenseman, top-eight goalie) were penalized further for having a more glaring need. With that as a baseline, we added some subjectivity as a finishing touch.

Here’s how we’d rank each team’s center depth, from best to worst, just before the offseason kicks off and the window to improve begins.

1. Edmonton Oilers

Current quality: 99th percentile

Looking for: Top-nine center

Who else? The Oilers kick off this list with The Best Player In The World and his sidekick, another top-five center, leading the way. No other franchise has the same embarrassment of riches at the top of its lineup down the middle. It’s a cheat code, one that brought the Oilers all the way to the Stanley Cup Final this season.

The Oilers could use a third-line center behind Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, but it’s not a glaring need by any means given how good those two are.

2. New Jersey Devils

Current quality: 94th percentile

Looking for: None

Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier both grade out as franchise players with complementary skill sets. In that regard, no team in the league comes closer to approximating the value Edmonton draws from McDavid and Draisaitl. Hughes and Hischier are already great, and they could get even better.

Of course, they’ve still got a major gap — about 17 goals’ worth — between themselves and the Oilers’ duo. Erik Haula is a nice third-line option, but that isn’t enough to lift New Jersey any higher than No. 2.

3. Colorado Avalanche

Current quality: 96th percentile

Looking for: Depth center

The Avalanche would rank highly on the strength of Nathan MacKinnon alone, but the addition of Casey Mittelstadt behind him is what helps cement their spot in the top three. Colorado no longer has a glaring hole down the middle; MacKinnon and Mittelstadt are a great 1-2 punch. Add Ross Colton to the mix and it’s a solid trifecta.

Colorado is likely in need of a depth center this offseason, though it shouldn’t be too difficult to fill that hole.

4. Vegas Golden Knights

Current quality: 95th percentile

Looking for: Depth center

Injuries stopped us from getting much more than a glimpse of the Golden Knights with a Jack Eichel–Tomas Hertl–William Karlsson trifecta at the top of their lineup, but big things should be on the way. No other team in the league has a franchise player (Eichel) and two first-liners (Hertl and Karlsson) down the middle.

Not all franchise players are created equal, though. Eichel, great as he may be, lags a bit in comparison to the McDavids and MacKinnons of the world. That gap, along with a current lack of quality options for the fourth line, is why Vegas doesn’t rank even higher.

5. Toronto Maple Leafs

Current quality: 93rd percentile

Looking for: Top-nine center

As long as John Tavares stays at center, the Leafs still have a pretty strong top duo. While Tavares isn’t quite the player he used to be — and is no longer worth his massive price tag — he’s better than his biggest detractors would have you believe. Regardless, Auston Matthews’ value as a top-three center in the world makes up the difference. He’s the main reason the Leafs rank so high.

The Leafs have a pressing need behind those two: A pivot that can anchor the third line and soak up some matchup minutes. David Kampf fits closer to a fourth-line center these days and shouldn’t be tasked with such responsibility.

6. Vancouver Canucks

Current quality: 87th percentile

Looking for: None

For most of the season, it felt as though the Canucks were rolling two franchise centers in Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller, and the grades support that notion. Generally speaking, they’re not lacking for elite talent in Vancouver. The future seems bright.

Their in-house options on the third and fourth lines — Pius Suter and Nils Aman — are decent enough, too, and bringing back Teddy Blueger would help to further shore up things. Either way, Vancouver’s center depth isn’t a pressing issue.

7. Florida Panthers

Current quality: 85th percentile

Looking for: Depth center

We know Florida’s depth is championship-caliber because we’ve seen it come through in back-to-back Stanley Cup Final berths.

Aleksander Barkov is the best two-way forward in the world, Sam Bennett raises hell on the second line and Anton Lundell has come into his own as a strong middle-six center. All that’s needed is some competent depth behind them as a finishing touch.

8. Dallas Stars

Current quality: 70th percentile

Looking for: Top-nine center

The Stars are the first team on the list without a franchise center, but they have more than enough at other positions to make up for it, and Roope Hintz comes very, very close to doing the same. Plus, Wyatt Johnston is already a first-line talent with room to grow.

Dallas’ issue is on the third line. If Matt duch*ene signs elsewhere, they may end up relying heavily on Mavrik Bourque — and while the Stars have shown a knack for turning prospects into legit contributors, that’s a tough ask.

9. New York Rangers

Current quality: 75th percentile

Looking for: None

The Rangers are set down the middle with a core of Mika Zibanejad, Vincent Trocheck, Filip Chytil and Jonny Brodzinski. That stability plays a role in their top-10 finish, but it’s also a product of quality that is contender-caliber.

The Rangers may not have a franchise center, but they do have two first-line-caliber ones, which goes a long way. Trocheck’s surge back toward point-per-game status played a big part in the team’s Presidents’ Trophy win, and he was a monster in the playoffs. That puts Chytil on the third line, a luxury (when healthy) that cements the center position as a team strength.

10. Pittsburgh Penguins

Current quality: 52nd percentile

Looking for: Top-nine center

The Penguins — and this will shock you — are again set at the top of the lineup. Sidney Crosby projects to be a franchise player for the 20th consecutive season and Evgeni Malkin still should perform like a first-liner. Those boxes remain checked.

The issue for Pittsburgh, though, is that holes have sprung up elsewhere over the last few seasons, and not all of them have been plugged. Lars Eller has defensive value but shouldn’t be any playoff team’s third center in 2024, Noel Acciari is a depth player on his best day and no prospects are waiting in the wings. The fact that Pittsburgh ranks this high is a testament to their big guys’ enduring production — Crosby in particular.

11. Tampa Bay Lightning

Current quality: 53rd percentile

Looking for: Depth center

Between Brayden Point, Anthony Cirelli and Nick Paul, the Lightning still have a playoff-caliber trifecta — it just may not quite be contender-caliber anymore.

Every team above them either has two bonafide top-line-caliber centers, a center with a bit more oomph than Point, or both. He’s a franchise guy, but when the competition features McDavid, MacKinnon, Matthews, Hughes, Draisaitl, Barkov, Crosby, Eichel, Pettersson… it’s not difficult to see why the Lightning fell outside the top 10.

The bigger issue here might be Luke Glendening, who undoes a lot of the goodwill from the top three with his minus-10 Net Rating.

12. Los Angeles Kings

Current quality: 57th percentile

Looking for: Top-nine center

About a year ago, the Kings thought they were set down the middle. They traded for and signed Pierre-Luc Dubois to add a pop of offense to one of the top two lines. We know how that worked out.

Now, with Dubois (and his contract) off to Washington, they’ve got another hole to fill, even if it’s on the third line. Anze Kopitar and Phillip Danault slot in well enough, and there’s a lot of talent on the wings, but depth could be a real issue here.

13. Ottawa Senators

Current quality: 59th percentile

Looking for: Franchise player

By this methodology, the Senators have one qualified franchise player on the roster in Brady Tkachuk; they need one more. Tim Stützle was the last cut from that group, and his progression will be the big story for Ottawa next season. The Senators need him to cement his place.

It felt like he was there after a breakthrough 2022-23 season, but he took a step back, along with the rest of the team. If he does get there, the Senators could potentially have a top-10 center group. For now, they’re closer to average. Stützle’s trajectory has the potential to determine Ottawa’s ceiling.

14. Carolina Hurricanes

Current quality: 51st percentile

Looking for: Top-six center

Once again, the Hurricanes are short on offensive dynamism at the top of their lineup. Sebastian Aho is franchise-caliber, but behind him, the depth chart gets fuzzy in a hurry.

It’s not that the players are bad; Jordan Staal is a defensive warhorse, Jack Drury has a place on a contender’s bottom six and Evgeny Kuznetsov is a decent lottery ticket. That just doesn’t seem like enough firepower for a team with Cup aspirations. Another thing Carolina has, though: More than $20 million in cap space.

15. Detroit Red Wings

Current quality: 36th percentile

Looking for: None

The Red Wings have stability down the middle, and that’s a good thing going into the offseason — they know what they have. The bad thing is that what they have is pretty mediocre.

Having Dylan Larkin at the top is a strong start; he’s a franchise guy. But after him, they have a below-average second-line center (J.T. Compher) and a below-average third-line center (Andrew Copp). Most contenders not only have a franchise guy up the middle, but they also usually have above-average centers in the middle six relative to their role.

The Red Wings technically don’t have any glaring needs here, but getting someone to play behind Larkin and push Compher down would be a strong step toward contention.

16. New York Islanders

Current quality: 32nd percentile

Looking for: None

The Islanders get a bit of a subjectivity bump thanks to the combination of Bo Horvat and Brock Nelson, the latter of whom brings low-end first-line production to the 2C slot. If you don’t have a franchise talent down the middle, stacking a couple first-liners isn’t a bad option.

Behind them, Jean-Gabriel Pageau grades out as a third-liner, but just barely, and Casey Cizikas isn’t adding much. That, combined with the aforementioned lack of a true high-end piece, leaves the Isles squarely in the middle of the pack.

17. Minnesota Wild

Current quality: 42nd percentile

Looking for: Top-nine center

For the longest time, Minnesota’s biggest issue has been down the middle. The Wild still aren’t where they need to be at center, but there’s finally some hope. Joel Eriksson Ek is a bonafide top-liner, and the emergence of Marco Rossi last season gives the team a viable No. 2.

Further growth from Rossi can dictate how high the Wild can climb, but he obviously has the talent to be special. Minnesota’s biggest need is for a third-line center behind those two. Frederick Gaudreau is a suboptimal choice for that role.

18. Seattle Kraken

Current quality: 59th percentile

Looking for: Franchise talent, top-nine center

The Kraken’s placement hinges on two open questions: Will Jared McCann play center, and can Matty Beniers regain some of the momentum he lost in 2023? If the answer to both is “yes,” then Seattle’s outlook (down the middle, at least) gets a whole lot better.

The problem for Seattle, though, is that McCann is their only top-line talent at forward, Beniers currently projects a decent second-liner and the only other proven NHL player on the depth chart is Yanni Gourde. Not great.

19. Nashville Predators

Current quality: 25th percentile

Looking for: None

Stability is a key factor for Nashville, just as it was for the Red Wings and the Islanders. That means the Predators enter the offseason with no pressing needs down the middle in terms of construction.

Contention is a different story. While the team’s four pivots fit neatly into a box of first line (Ryan O’Reilly), second line (Tommy Novak), third line (Colton Sissons), fourth line (Michael McCarron), they all come on the low end of each grouping. The best teams instead have guys coming in at the high end of each grouping.

It’s passable, but that comes in well below average.

20. Calgary Flames

Current quality: 37th percentile

Looking for: Franchise talent

Sure, the Flames seem to be sliding rapidly into irrelevance, but their center depth could be worse. Nazem Kadri finished strong in 2023-24 and held his first-line projection for next season, Mikael Backlund is still solidly unspectacular and Connor Zary, at 22, looks like a legit middle-six piece.

Not bad — but not good, either, and exactly what you’d expect from a team that, as ever, seems too weak to contend and too good to add elite talent in the draft.

21. Buffalo Sabres

Current quality: 40th percentile

Looking for: Franchise player, top-nine center

Heading into last season, the Sabres seemed to have found their franchise player. Tage Thompson, though, couldn’t deliver on his post-breakout, plus-13 projection and has now dropped down to the realm of mere first-liner. Dylan Cozens took a step back, too.

Those two bits of reality, combined with the depth hit caused by Casey Mittelstadt’s departure, make it tough to put the Sabres any higher. If Thompson and Cozens regain their momentum, though, the picture will get a whole lot brighter.

22. St. Louis Blues

Current quality: 27th percentile

Looking for: Franchise talent

Robert Thomas once again looked the part of a legit first-liner for the Blues, partially due to a newfound interest in shooting the puck. If he takes another step forward, St. Louis’ depth chart will make a whole lot more sense. Brayden Schenn and Kevin Hayes are low-end second- and third-line guys, respectively, but a rising tide lifts all boats.

23. Washington Capitals

Current quality: 26th percentile

Looking for: Franchise talent

The Capitals made a big splash in the midst of our preparation for this series by acquiring Pierre-Luc Dubois. That move filled a glaring hole at second-line center giving the Capitals a stable core that also features Dylan Strome, Nic Dowd and Connor McMichael. The issue is, that core obviously isn’t contender-quality.

Everything here hinges on whether Dubois can bounce back in a bigger role. He was top-line caliber before being moved to the Kings, and if he can recapture that, the Capitals actually have a decent one-two punch with Strome already at that level. It’s difficult to pencil Dubois in for anything higher than second-line value at the moment, though — he was that badlast season.

24. Chicago Blackhawks

Current quality: 24th percentile

Looking for: Franchise talent, top-six center

The search for franchise talent is the most difficult in hockey, especially going into an offseason and especially at center. That doesn’t apply to the Blackhawks, who have Connor Bedard knocking at that door, the most obvious internal solution in the league.

“Looking for franchise talent” is a blanket statement used for any team that doesn’t have any players clearing the threshold. Bedard isn’t quite there… yet. The bar for franchise forward is right around Dylan Larkin, and Bedard projects to come in four goals shy for now. It’s a matter of “when” not “if” that he clears that bar, though, and it may come as soon as next season.

With Bedard on the precipice of greatness and Jason Dickinson looking like a strong shutdown center, the Blackhawks’ biggest need is for a second-line pivot between them.

25. Winnipeg Jets

Current quality: 19th percentile

Looking for: Top-six center

Winnipeg has strengths elsewhere, but there’s a reason why the Jets are often first-round fodder. They’re vulnerable down the middle.

On a contender, Mark Scheifele would be a perfect No. 2 option, with Adam Lowry being a perfect third-line center. Acquiring a center better than Scheifele would solve a lot of problems, but that’s probably a pipe dream.

They’ll likely have to settle for someone who fits between him and Lowry, which at best makes this group average. Right now, they’re well below with a big hole to fill.

26. Montreal Canadiens

Current quality: 23rd percentile

Looking for: Franchise talent, top-six center

Nick Suzuki took a major leap last season and looked the part of a solid top-liner. Expecting much more from him would be unfair.

Montreal’s main issue now, though, is that there are no needle-movers behind him. If the Canadiens are going to take another step forward, they’re going to have to do better than Alex Newhook, Jake Evans and Christian Dvorak.

27. Philadelphia Flyers

Current quality: 24th percentile

Looking for: Franchise talent, top-line center

At this stage of his career, Sean Couturier is no longer a top-line center. Cite his RAPM xG all you want — he scored at a 42-point pace last year. Morgan Frost wasn’t much better with similar five-on-five impacts and a 47-point pace.

Both players profile as second-line centers, and that’s the Flyers’ biggest problem right now. They don’t have a top dog.

They do have decent depth, with Noah Cates, Ryan Poehling and Scott Laughton, which allows them to win lesser matchups. But they’ll be hard-pressed to make the playoffs, let alone contend, without a clear difference-maker at the top.

28. Boston Bruins

Current quality: 9th percentile

Looking for: Top-line center

Charlie Coyle, Pavel Zacha and Morgan Geekie deserve a lot of credit for the way they played in 2023-24. All three, to some degree, were overextended. If Zacha indeed heads back to the wing full-time, Boston’s need for a true first-liner will only be exacerbated.

Do they need a franchise guy? No, they’ve got them elsewhere. They do need a legit option, though, and they have the cap space necessary to make it happen.

29. Utah HC

Current quality: 19th percentile

Looking for: Franchise talent, top-line center

The fate of Utah rests in Logan Cooley’s hands.

The franchise doesn’t have a top-line center and is devoid of any franchise talent at the moment. Cooley has the potential to get there and showed flashes of brilliance last season, but he still has a ways to go. He has a ton of upside, but currently only grades out as third-line material. Can he take a bigger jump in his second season, or will his development be a slow burn?

Behind him, the team has three solid options that give them depth, but they don’t really inspire. Barrett Hayton, Nick Bjugstad and Jack McBain are passable for their roles. But unless Cooley takes off, it’s not enough.

30. San Jose Sharks

Current quality: 22nd percentile

Looking for: Franchise talent, top-line center

Could Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith fill those needs? Of course — but neither is there at the moment. Celebrini technically isn’t even a Shark yet.

In the meantime, San Jose still has a center depth chart that screams “Tankathon,” especially if Logan Couture’s injury issues continue. He played six games in 2023-24 and currently projects as a second-liner.

31. Columbus Blue Jackets

Current quality: 9th percentile

Looking for: Franchise talent, top-line center

Adam Fantilli had a respectable rookie season, but it’s not fair to expect him to immediately leap toward being the franchise savior. He should get there, but his sophom*ore season may be too soon. We’re expecting him to jump toward being a solid second-line pivot.

He has the talent to make that look foolish, and his potential ascension would dictate how high the Blue Jackets could climb. He has franchise potential and would make a solid one-two punch with Boone Jenner.

Kent Johnson and Cole Sillinger also have some upside that could drive the Blue Jackets forward, but neither is a safe bet. Sillinger, in particular, doesn’t grade out well, and his low rating is what contributes to Columbus’ lower standing.

Fantilli’s rise could make everything fall into place, but Columbus isn’t there yet.

32. Anaheim Ducks

Current quality: 9th percentile

Looking for: Franchise talent, top-line center

Leo Carlsson flashed potential in his first North American season but, like Fantilli, he can’t be counted on for more than second-line production in 2024-25. He doesn’t have a Boone Jenner-caliber veteran playing behind him, either, which is a big part of the reason why Anaheim finds itself at the bottom of the list.

It’s easy to imagine Carlsson as a franchise player down the line — just like it’s easy to imagine Mason McTavish putting up first-line numbers. Expecting it from either of them this year, though, would be some combination of unfair and foolish.

(Top photos of Connor Bedard and Tim Stutzle: Jamie Sabau, Joe Nicholson / USA Today)